


High School Sweetheart (And Other Pet Names)

by coinseller



Series: “Park Jihoon is handsome” – Lai Guanlin (a collection of panwink short stories) [3]
Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Guanlin is whipped but so is Jihoon, M/M, Romance, because thats the school system im most familiar with lol, panwink being soft for each other, so much blushing and so many pet names, this takes place in korea but im using the american schooling system
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 06:10:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13381788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coinseller/pseuds/coinseller
Summary: "I love you, baby,” Jihoon snickered.“I love you too, hyung,” Guanlin replied.





	High School Sweetheart (And Other Pet Names)

**Author's Note:**

> So once upon a time, I got a request on CC from this anonymous person who was like: Do you take requests? Would you ever consider writing a super soft panwink fic where they have cute pet names for each other? (Ex: baby)  
> And I was like: Yo I shouldn’t be taking requests with the amount of fics I have to write but that is actually the Cutest Shit I have Ever Heard in my entire life, and I wrote the entire outline in 0.3 seconds and typed this fic up in one sitting from like 1AM-7AM  
> ALKSJSDKLfj  
> JUST A WARNING TO U: THE PET NAME PART ONLY COMES DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE FIC… the first part was supposed to be short but I got super into what I was writing so… rip and also I misread ur request a little… but I was already too far deep with the outline I made so… rip LOLOL ;;;;
> 
> anyway, I hope u all enjoy and also YOU, anon, in particular.

Jihoon still remembers the day that Guanlin had first asked him out with a fond smile on his face…

 

It was sometime during his Junior year of high school. He watched from his bedroom window as the lanky Freshman paced around in the park in front of his house. He was dressed rather sharply, wearing a fitted black suit with nothing but a piece of paper in one hand and a large bouquet of red and pink roses in another.

 

It was a funny sight to see, watching as Guanlin sat down on one of the swings, softly pushing himself back and forth, and reading from the piece of paper, mouthing along to the words. Jihoon knew when he'd supposedly get to end of his script, because the boy would instantly turn a bright shade of red, and from then on it happened in a loop; him reading the paper and then blushing harder and harder the more he practiced through it. And after seemingly reading through the script about twenty times, the teenager jumped off the swings and ran his hands through his hair in exasperation, briskly walking around the sidewalk, up and down, in hopes to calm himself.

 

Jihoon assumed that Guanlin was probably going to try to ask him out to homecoming, since that was just around the corner. And he was proven right when Guanlin suddenly stopped in front of a lamppost and held the bouquet of flowers out, clearly mouthing the words: “Jihoon, will you go to the Homecoming Dance with me?”

 

Jihoon watched in amusement as Guanlin instantly lit up red and buried his face into his hands, deciding to take another walk down a different block that turned just out of Jihoon’s line of sight.

 

The Junior sighed with a light smile on his face, slumping back into his desk chair and spinning around in it, lost in thought.

 

He didn’t really know what to make of Guanlin at the time. In all honesty, Jihoon just never really thought about the younger romantically. They had only really talked a few times here and there, and at the beginning of the year, he had offered to help Guanlin out in his literature class since he had the same teacher Jihoon did. And even with all of these casual occurrences considered, it was still painfully obvious that Guanlin had a massive crush on him.

 

Whenever the Freshman thought Jihoon wasn’t looking, he’d always sneak glances at the elder from far away. Sometimes, Jihoon didn’t even have to peek up to feel the other’s eyes fixed on him. Guanlin was really bad at hiding it, Jihoon thought with a small laugh, biting his lip to somehow stifle the noise. No matter how sneaky Guanlin tried to act, Jihoon would always catch his gaze at the last second, the other whipping around and hesitantly continuing with what he was doing. And even when he _was_ quick enough to fully turn before Jihoon had noticed, the tips of his ears would still be an impressive shade of red, which was enough evidence for Jihoon to easily connect the dots.

 

Jihoon thought it was actually pretty cute. And he would be lying if he said that Guanlin wasn’t handsome—because he _was_.

 

It was around sunset—about three hours after Jihoon had first caught Guanlin outside of his house—when the younger boy finally arrived at his front door looking like a mess.

 

It was more than apparent that Guanlin was anxious, his hands shaking and gripping tightly around the bouquet of roses—some of the flowers now drooping over with a few dying petals floating lifelessly to the ground. His eyes widened, not expecting his elder to answer the door so quickly. Guanlin gazed at him for a long while, eyes pooling with a mixture of muted awe and horrified shock. He looked as if he were about to faint either because of Jihoon’s sudden presence or just out of sheer nervousness. And it was understandable because Jihoon had caught the boy in a rather unimpressive moment...

 

Guanlin was still wiping the sweat from his face and trying to fix his bangs that were now falling flat against his forehead. His bowtie was crooked too, and the end of his collared shirt was now poking out from where it was previously tucked into his pants, probably messed up during his hike around Jihoon's gigantic neighborhood. And as if something suddenly clicked in Guanlin's mind, the younger mechanically straightened up and cleared his throat, breathing out a soft, "H-Hi," that was 90% just his voice cracking and 10% actual words. He quickly cleared his throat again and turned to look downwards, face turning a deep shade of red.

 

Jihoon remembered pursing his lips, and failing to force back a smile, eyes scanning the disheveled boy up and down. And even though Guanlin looked less than charming that particular evening, it didn’t stop the elder from being absolutely _endeared_ by the sight in front of him.

 

“Hello, Guanlin,” He replied, tone casual and airy. “You look great.”

 

“T-Thanks, hyung,” Guanlin stammered with a bashful grin. He then froze; probably desperately trying to recall what he had been rehearsing all week, and scratched the back of his neck. “I—uh—these are for you,” He finally said, shoving the roses into Jihoon’s arms and hastily retracting his hands to clasp them behind his back, nervously fiddling with his fingers where Jihoon couldn’t see them.

 

“Thank you,” Jihoon nodded with a small grin on his face. He pressed the bouquet to his nose and Guanlin looked lost for words, smiling dumbly at Jihoon sniffing the flowers he had chosen out for him, his ears turning a light shade of pink.

 

Jihoon remembered waiting for a moment, staring up at the other expectantly, until Guanlin snapped back into the present again. “Ah, s-sorry,” the Freshman stuttered.

 

Jihoon hummed in response and only continued to gaze at Guanlin, wordlessly urging him to continue.

 

“R-Right. Um… Jihoon… _Hyung,”_ He quickly added. “I-I… like you. A-A lot.”

 

Jihoon nodded again, silently letting the words sink and tilting his head to the side in pretend deliberation. “I know,” He replied, voice easy and light.

 

Guanlin flinched, turning even redder and cowering in on himself. He looked like he was preparing himself for rejection, watery eyes flickering to his shoes and unable to meet Jihoon’s stare. Nonetheless, he continued anyway, “W-Will you, uh, go to the H-Homecoming Dance… with me?”

 

Then, it was quiet, save for the shuffling of Guanlin’s feet and the creaking of the door when Jihoon leaned against it.

 

Jihoon remembered he’d only been to homecoming once during his three years of high school, never really being interested in large parties or big groups of people. But Guanlin looked down at him with so much hope and sincere adoration, that Jihoon gave in. And it wasn’t as if he had anything better to do that particular Friday night anyway. He thought that he might as well make this Freshman’s day and go with him. So, with that in mind, he said yes.

 

And little did he know that he’d have the time of his life.

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon still vividly recalls how that night happened.

 

Guanlin showed up to his house wearing a different suit—grey this time—with a pink tie that Jihoon requested when the Freshman had ran up to him during lunch one day, asking him with a blush across his face, _“Hyung, w-what colors did you want to wear? For the dance, I mean…”_

_“Um…” Jihoon stopped for a moment, thinking, leaving Guanlin to fidget under the stares from all of his friends—them all being his upperclassmen by two years just like Jihoon. He finally replied, “Well… my favorite color is pink but—”_

_“Pink is perfect!” Guanlin interjected breathlessly, eyes wide, voice excited. And Jihoon grinned, nodding._

Guanlin’s face reddened upon seeing Jihoon wearing a matching grey suit, but instead of wearing a pink tie, the elder wore a pink vest.

 

The younger was speechless, eyes glistening with happiness and combined nervousness. He opened his mouth to say something but he could only break out into a smitten grin, sighing dreamily at the other.

 

It took a moment, but Guanlin was finally able to say, voice barely above a whisper, “You look _amazing_ , hyung.”

 

“Thanks, you too,” Jihoon whispered back. He then noticed the two identical boutonnieres in the taller boy’s hands. “Um, is one of those for me?” He pointed.

 

“U-Uh,” Guanlin quickly looked down and, as if he had forgotten what he was holding, suddenly realized, “Y-Yes! _Yeah_ , one of them is yours.”

 

He then gave a pin to Jihoon and then murmured a soft, “M-May I?” before Jihoon nodded. Guanlin gulped and, with shaky fingers, carefully pinned the pink carnation to the lapel of his elder’s suit, him feeling the younger’s gentle, uneven breathing in their close proximity.

 

Guanlin stepped away to admire his handiwork, beaming down at the other. Jihoon muttered a soft _thank you_ and, in return, he did the same for Guanlin; pinning the matching carnation to the younger’s suit. As he worked the needle through the soft fabric of Guanlin’s lapel, Jihoon idly wondered how he managed to figure out his favorite flower—but, alas, that was a question he’d have to ask another time.

 

They stepped into Guanlin’s mom’s car and, instantly upon seeing the pair, she sighed adoringly. “Oh, Guanlin, honey! He’s just as handsome as you described!!”

 

Guanlin choked on the air he was breathing and Jihoon spit, trying to stifle the laugh that was threatening to burst from his throat.

 

 _“Moooom,”_ Guanlin whined, his face lighting up red.

 

“Oh, hush,” She said, whipping around from the front seat to take a photo of the two of them.

 

Guanlin looked like he was going to pass out and he nervously glanced to Jihoon, who nodded and mouthed a soft: _“It’s fine,”_ with a wink.

 

And after a few light-hearted protests from Guanlin and a couple more pictures later, the pair was driven off into the direction of their shared High School.

 

Guanlin remained bashful and shy for most of the night, getting Jihoon drinks and snacks, and striking up conversations here and there. He tried to hold Jihoon’s hand a few times, brushing his fingers against the other’s and sometimes even linking their pinkies together—which, ultimately, would end in failure with Guanlin only able to blush in the cheeks and turn away in embarrassment.

 

And Jihoon would huff lightly, frustrated for some reason, but still more than endeared.

 

It was when Guanlin finally managed to barely hook their index fingers together, did Jihoon realize that the younger was actually never going to find the courage to hold his hand for real. With a playful sigh, Jihoon grasped at the taller’s hand confidently, twining their fingers together with a tight squeeze.

 

Guanlin froze in shock and turned to Jihoon with an embarrassed, questioning look on his face.

 

Jihoon rolled his eyes with a grin. “Relax,” He yelled over the blaring music.

 

And Guanlin did just that.

 

Jihoon recalled how when one of his favorite songs started playing, that Guanlin instantly recognized it before Jihoon did.

 

“Do you want to dance with me?” Guanlin shouted when the bass started to kick in.

 

“Sure!” Jihoon replied, equally as loud.

 

Guanlin broke out into a blinding grin and ran out into the dance floor, tugging Jihoon by their linked hands and situating themselves in the middle of the throng of dancing students.

 

It was cramped in their tiny High School gymnasium, hundreds of bodies pushing against each other and jumping around to the rhythm. Jihoon was shoved into Guanlin’s chest and Guanlin flushed deeply, helping the Junior straighten up again.

 

“Are you okay?” Guanlin yelled, concerned.

 

“Yeah!” Jihoon laughed. “Dance with me!” He cheered.

 

And Guanlin smiled too, nodding excitedly.

 

Soon enough, they found themselves dancing and jumping with everyone else.

 

Eventually, Guanlin grabbed Jihoon’s hands and they spun around in circles, laughing and giggling to each other, lost in their own little world. Guanlin was actually a horrible dancer, which was funny because Jihoon was incredible. He remembered breaking out into an old popping routine as Guanlin took a step back, mouth dropped open in awe and gazing at him with so much adoration, Jihoon thought that the Freshman was going to explode. About a minute later, there was then a little circle around him and when the song finally ended, the gym burst into cheers.

 

Guanlin ran up to Jihoon immediately afterwards, hugging him tightly and yelling into his ear, “THAT WAS INCREDIBLE, HYUNG!!”

 

Jihoon broke out into a fit of elated laughter, shouting a loud “Thanks!!” in reply.

 

They danced for a bit longer, and when things started to slow down a bit, Guanlin grabbed Jihoon by the hand, leading him to the exit.

 

“Where are we going?” Jihoon asked breathlessly, still tired from their previous activities.

 

“Slow dancing is kinda boring,” Guanlin replied, “I have something better we can do.” He then squeezed Jihoon’s hand and, with that, the pair left the school, running out into the night.

 

Guanlin led them into a small convenience store a few blocks down the road. There, he bought two packages of ice cream and a bag of sour gummy worms, before taking Jihoon to a park just around the corner.

 

The pair sat on the swings, probably looking incredibly out of place in their full-on suits, munching on ice cream and pointing at the stars together. They talked for hours like this, learning more and more about each other and sharing stories that made each other laugh.

 

As the time ticked by, Jihoon grew his own little crush on Guanlin, admiring the boy’s genuine excitement among other charming personality traits. And soon, their night came to an end—Guanlin’s mom picking them up again and driving Jihoon to his house.

 

Jihoon remembered how Guanlin had walked him up to his door; still holding onto his hand with his cheeks still dusted a pretty shade of pink. He stood there, watching Jihoon fish his keys out of his pocket and shoving it into the keyhole. But before Jihoon could unlock his door, he spun around to Guanlin again and smiled, saying, “I had a lot of fun tonight. Thank you.”

 

And just as Guanlin was about to reply, Jihoon pulled him down by his tie and pressed a chaste kiss to the younger’s lips, humming with bliss, and then pressing his lips to Guanlin’s again, only this time, staying a bit longer.

 

When they parted, Guanlin was frozen in shock, blinking slowly, with his brain slowly processing what had just happened.

 

“I’ll see you around?” Jihoon asked with a hopeful ring in his voice. He bit his lip, looking at Guanlin expectantly and waiting for an answer.

 

The younger fainted.

 

And the rest was history.

 

 

 

 

 

They dated for the rest of Jihoon’s Junior year—Guanlin’s Freshman year—and the time they spent together went by fast.

 

The rest of their school year was filled with many dates: from amusement park outings to sporadic mall dates. They visited the movies together frequently and Jihoon even took Guanin to his favorite PC room, teaching the younger how to play some of his favorite games.

 

Guanlin had continued to be shy and cute, and Jihoon loved every second of it—finding the younger just as endearing as the moment he saw him, sweating and nervous, at Jihoon’s front door that fateful evening.

 

They went everywhere together—alternating between sitting with each other’s respective friend groups during lunchtime—and then later getting kicked out whenever they’d get lost in each other’s eyes.

 

_“Go be gross and romantic somewhere else!” One of Jihoon’s friends had yelled, throwing a chunk of bread crust at Jihoon’s face._

_“Fine!” Jihoon stuck his tongue out, pulling Guanlin up and guiding the confused underclassman away, but not without a long, hard kiss to Guanlin’s mouth just to spite his best friend._

 

Guanlin eventually grew the confidence to hold Jihoon’s hand, but Jihoon always had to be the one to initiate kisses.

 

They spent a lot of their after school time together; studying at each other’s houses and eating through bags upon bags of chips. During this time was when Jihoon really enjoyed kissing the younger.

 

When he first started kissing Guanlin, the boy couldn’t last for more than half a second before he’d burst into a bright red, only able to sputter speechless nonsense for the next hour or so. It was a work in progress from there, but Jihoon was more than happy to help Guanlin out—of course, with the other’s consent.

 

For several hours, the two of them would sit crisscrossed on the floor of Jihoon’s bedroom, face-to-face, knees bumping against one another’s and staring into each other’s eyes. Jihoon remembered the first time they sat together like this, and how he placed multiple soft kisses against Guanlin’s lips, their eyes fluttering shut and breathing softly against each other’s mouths before leaning closer to gingerly capture each other’s lips over and over again. The younger would shiver involuntarily, drawing away in second nature, but pushing forward with anxious determination, willing to learn and kiss his elder back.

 

Jihoon absolutely melted against Guanlin’s lips. They were soft and plush, smooth and sweet, tasting like gummy bears and orange flavored soda and something else distinctly unique to him. They both didn’t really know how to kiss—the two of them ending up just doing whatever felt right—and when they parted for the first time, Guanlin was left dizzy and dazed—mesmerized by Jihoon’s lips with muted astonishment, breathless with wonder. Guanlin looked at the other, eyes shining like a puppy's and silently begging for permission to kiss him again.

 

But Jihoon smiled instead. “Was that okay?” He croaked, fiddling with the tips of Guanlin’s fingers.

 

And Guanlin could only squeak, nodding eagerly in response and causing the older to burst out into a fit of laughter.

 

From then on, kissing grew easier for the two of them. And eventually, they did it without even thinking.

 

Guanlin stayed embarrassed over everything else, however—only acting a little bit more confident than when they had first met. And Jihoon loved it anyway, showering his bashful, lanky boyfriend with love and affection, holding his face in his hands and kissing him delightedly whenever he could. And Guanlin would return the affection with just as much happiness.

 

It was sad when the year had finally come to an end. Jihoon couldn’t remember a time when he’d actually been upset for summer break to roll around. But, nonetheless, it came, and Guanlin had to leave, announcing that he and his parents would be spending their two months of vacation in Taiwan to visit family.

 

“I’ll be back soon, hyung,” Guanlin had promised him, linking their hands together and swaying them back and forth.

 

“You’ll message me, right?” Jihoon asked with a pout on his face.

 

“As much as I can,” Guanlin nodded.

 

And then he left.

 

Jihoon only heard from his boyfriend twice since then.

 

 

 

 

 

The new school year started up and Guanlin had text him early that morning, stating: _Hyung!! I’m back! Meet me by the Senior main hall? <3_

 

And Jihoon instantly shot out of bed, excitedly typing back: _Yes!_

 

It was probably the first time that he’d ever shown up to school early, Jihoon leaning up against the lockers and anxiously glancing down at his phone every now and then, checking for the time or taking a look to see if he’d gotten a random message from Guanlin.

 

It wasn’t until about five minutes before the first bell that the younger had finally shown up, and when their eyes met, Jihoon realized that there was something… _different_ … about Guanlin.

 

“Hyung!” Guanlin shouted, face breaking out into that wide, gummy smile that Jihoon missed for the past two months. He briskly made his way towards his elder.

 

“Guanlin!” Jihoon breathed, walking to meet him halfway.

 

And what happened next, surprised him, because Jihoon was expecting a hug out of the younger— _that being the most likely thing that Guanlin would do_ —but instead of a hug, Guanlin swooped down, tilted Jihoon’s head up, and kissed the shorter boy breathless.

 

Jihoon yelped, but the sound was instantly drunken up by a blissful sigh.

 

They kissed forever. Jihoon felt long fingers thread into the curls of his hair—Guanlin gently grazing his fingernails down the length of his neck, and trailing them across his nape to rub the soft skin there. Jihoon shivered at the sensation, humming, and suddenly felt another hand come up to meet with his own, confidently pressing their palms together and locking their fingers tightly.

 

Guanlin had never kissed Jihoon like this before—heck, he’d never initiated a kiss _ever._ It was as if someone had taken the boy who could only stare at Jihoon’s mouth in embarrassment and replaced him with someone more courageous and bold.

 

The younger drew away with a euphoric exhale, keeping their lips only centimeters apart so that they could feel each other’s gentle breaths. Jihoon was frozen with shock, and even more so when Guanlin moved to Jihoon’s side, lips barely touching the shell of his ear, and whispered, voice excited, “I missed you, baby.”

 

It was then that Jihoon’s knees buckled out, and he almost had to grab onto the wall for support.

 

But just as quickly as Guanlin had come, the bell rang, and the younger stepped away with a happy smile on his face. “I’ll see you later, hyung!!” He called, turning away and completely oblivious to the emotional state that he put Jihoon in. “I’ll save you a spot at lunch!” He promised.

 

And just like that, Guanlin was gone.

 

But the feelings that he left Jihoon with weren’t.

 

Jihoon just kinda stood there, paralyzed with his eyes wide. He felt a searing hot blush creep up from his chest and spread all the way up to his face, painting his cheeks red and the color growing darker by the second. People passed by Jihoon, some shooting him stares and some even whispering, wondering if the Senior was going to be alright. But Jihoon barely paid them any mind. All he could think was: _“WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT??”_ as he internally screamed for what felt like hours upon hours.

 

Eventually, the tardy bell rang and Jihoon stumbled to his class, tripping over his feet and barely able to keep himself standing up right. And if that wasn’t enough, all throughout his next few classes, Jihoon couldn’t pay attention—let alone _hear_. All that was echoing in his ears was Guanlin whispering “baby” over and over again, ringing over the sound of all his teacher’s voices.

 

It was more than mortifying when one of them had asked Jihoon a question, and the boy could only squeak in response, his voice cracking as if he were a Freshman again.

 

Giggles erupted across the classroom and Jihoon slammed his face into his desk, face hot against the cool surface of the wood. He felt his heart hammering in his chest and his hands still shaking ever so slightly. It wasn’t like he didn’t like the pet name, _God no_. Rather, he was just totally and completely unprepared for it.

 

Nevertheless, Jihoon straightened up again with a newfound composure. He thought that maybe this was a one-time thing—convincing himself that maybe Guanlin wasn’t going to do this again.

 

But, _boy_ , was he absolutely wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

Jihoon couldn’t remember the rest of his week. The only thing that he _did_ remember were the various pet names that Guanlin had called him, each day respectively.

 

On Tuesday, it was ‘darling.’

 

Jihoon and Guanlin were walking through the halls together, meeting during one of their passing periods and walking to their next class that was situated somewhat close to one another’s. They talked excitedly, Jihoon describing something he had watched on YouTube recently and laughing together as they normally did—holding hands and swinging them back and forth.

 

But before Guanlin had left, he brought Jihoon’s hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to Jihoon’s knuckles, eyes never leaving the shorter boy’s gaze and watching him.

 

Jihoon stared back, heart almost stopping in his chest.

 

“I’ll see you later, darling,” He said, voice barely above a whisper. And with one final peck to Jihoon’s fingers, Guanlin smiled and walked away, leaving Jihoon to blush violently all by himself.

 

On Wednesday, it was ‘beautiful.’

 

The pair found themselves situated outside, underneath a tree one sunny, lunchtime afternoon. Jihoon rested on Guanlin’s lap; head lying on his thighs and his legs sprawled wildly out across the grass. They mindlessly passed the time doing whatever they felt comfortable doing, Jihoon holding his phone above his head and playing an intense game of Hearthstone while Guanlin tried to read a novel for his literature class.

 

Eventually, the younger gave up on reading, and decided to stroke Jihoon’s hair instead—fingers kneading at Jihoon’s scalp and carding gently through his soft, brown locks. Jihoon sighed at the feeling, closing his eyes and locking his phone with a _click!_

 

He relished in the sensation of the younger boy’s delicate movements, zoning in on his careful ministrations and humming with content.

 

“I’m going to take a nap,” Jihoon mumbled, already positioning his head so that he could rest more comfortably.

 

He heard Guanlin grunt in acknowledgment, and then he murmured a soft, “Good night… _beautiful_ ” that had Jihoon’s brain snapping back into full alertness—sleepiness completely forgotten.

 

Jihoon tried to sleep after that. He really did. He closed his eyes and willed his heart to slow down, but no matter what he did, nothing would work. He just sat there in bashful agony; face hot with a scalding blush as Guanlin just continued to hum, lightly working his fingers through Jihoon’s hair, completely unaware of how much of an affect his words had on the elder.

 

On Thursday, it was ‘doll’ and on Friday, it was ‘angel.’

 

Jihoon didn’t even realize that he had a weakness for pet names, but as Guanlin kept calling him these endless words of affection, Jihoon just grew more and more weak, feeling as though his stomach were bubbling and his legs always threatening give out.

 

 _‘Babe,’_ was what Guanlin had called him one day after school.

 

Jihoon remembered how his heart skipped in his chest and then launched into overdrive, the stupid organ beating erratically against his ribcage. His brain buzzed warmly and his troat constricted when he tried to breathe. Jihoon desperately tried to swallow the dryness there, but when Guanlin pressed a soft kiss to his temple, repeating the name again, Jihoon was a goner.

 

It wasn’t as if Guanlin was completely different. In reality, the boy still acted embarrassed and shy sometimes, still hesitating to grab at Jihoon’s hand or initiate some other form of affection. It was just at these sudden times that someone would just flip a switch in the Sophomore, activating these little acts of confidence that would sent the poor Senior into a state of complete and utter speechlessness.

 

And it would just take his breath away.

 

 

 

 

 

One evening during the middle of the year, Jihoon found himself in Guanlin’s room. They were studying together like they usually did, sprawled lazily around on the floor with bags of chips and gummy snacks at their feet.

 

Jihoon’s face was buried deep into a textbook, sleepily drinking in all the information that it had to offer and committing absolutely none of it to memory.

 

Jihoon was about to doze off, _that is,_ before he felt a pair of lips press gently to the curve of his jaw. And instantly, Jihoon was awake again, eyes open wide and barely even breathing.

 

Jihoon squeaked and coiled in on himself, hiding his cheeks with his hands and turning to look at Guanlin only a few inches away from his face.

 

Guanlin blinked in confusion, examining his elder’s expression before whispering, “What’s wrong, love?”

 

_Love._

 

Jihoon nearly fainted.

 

He wanted to scream out all of his pent up emotions and somehow fight the blush that ignited all across the expanse of his skin. His heart stopped and then kicked back up, beating hard and loud in his chest.

 

_LOVE._

 

Jihoon wanted to bury his face into the floor and cry. Cry out of frustration and cry because he absolutely _loved_ it.

 

“N-Nothing’s wrong,” He managed to whimper, squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a shuddering exhale, trying to find peace.

 

“It doesn’t look like nothing’s wrong,” Guanlin observed, sitting back and biting his lip nervously. “Did I do something bad?”

 

“No—” Jihoon was quick to reply. “You didn’t do anything… _bad._ ”

 

Guanlin paused for a second, thinking, and Jihoon felt himself darken a few shades of red under his boyfriend’s searching eyes. “You’ve been a lot more quiet recently…” Guanlin started, “Did I… upset you?”

 

And just like that, Jihoon’s resolved crumbled. “No! Not at all! It’s just… I just…” Jihoon paused again, listening to the word _love_ chiming in his ears over and over again. It wasn’t as if he _wanted_ to be quiet like this. Rather, he just couldn’t respond when Guanlin would call him using one of those endearing pet names that reduced Jihoon into a blubbering, incoherent mess.

 

“What is it?” Guanlin asked hesitantly.

 

And Jihoon didn’t want to admit it. He didn’t want to admit how much he hate-loved these pet names and describe the emotional state they put him in, but nevertheless, he didn’t want to be dishonest with his boyfriend, so he replied, “It’s the pet names…” with his face buried deep into his hands.

 

“The what?” Guanlin breathed, reaching up to pull Jihoon’s hands from his mouth so that he could hear him better.

 

“THE PET NAMES!!!” Jihoon cried and Guanlin jumped back in shock, blinking at his elder. “I don’t know what it is!! I just can’t handle them!” He turned to look at Guanlin with his cheeks flushed, expression flustered and helpless.

 

“D-Do you not like them?” Guanlin asked cautiously, lips quivering.

 

“THAT’S THE PROBLEM,” Jihoon yelled, slapping his hands against his face again. “I love them—to the point where it’s the only thing I can think about and I can barely even function afterwards.” He groaned.

 

Jihoon curled in on himself, bringing his knees up to his chest and whining softly into his palms.

 

Guanlin smiled sheepishly, nudging Jihoon to look up again, which he did, pursing his lips with light-hearted frustration and full-on embarrassment.

 

“What happened to the cute little freshman who used to hesitate before holding my hand? Who would fumble over his words before he could even think about speaking to me?” Jihoon muttered, smiling tiredly and voice almost reminiscent. He laughed at himself and Guanlin laughed along.

 

“Nothing happened. I’m still right here,” Guanlin explained, looking away bashfully and scratching the nape of his neck. “I still get embarrassed to talk to you and my heart still pounds _so hard_ in my chest—I guess I’ve just gotten used to it… to the point where I can just hide it better,” He murmured.

 

Jihoon hummed, leaning his weight against his boyfriend’s side and resting his head on his shoulder.

 

“I just thought the pet names were cute. I didn’t think that they’d do _this much_ you,” He continued. “I visited my grandparents over the summer, and they called each other similar names. I just figured that maybe if I called you things like _love_ and _baby_ and _darling_ that… you’d be happy too?”

 

Jihoon sputtered, burning just a little bit more and internally weeping over how endearing his boyfriend could be sometimes.

 

The two of them sat in silence for a bit, letting their conversation sink in for a bit, before Guanlin spoke up again.

 

“So the pet names? I’ll stop if you want me to—”

 

“NO!” Jihoon interjected.

 

Guanlin turned to look at the Senior, confused.

 

“J-Just… tone it down a little,” Jihoon whimpered. “Or else your boyfriend is going to die.”

 

Guanlin chuckled and soon, Jihoon chuckled as well.

 

“You sound like me when I first met you,” Guanlin whispered.

 

Jihoon rolled his eyes in response and motioned for Guanlin to move in closer.

 

“Yeah, yeah… I love you, baby,” Jihoon snickered.

 

“I love you too, hyung,” Guanlin replied.

 

And even without the pet name, Jihoon felt his heart skip in his chest.

 

With matching smiles, the two boys kissed, soon forgetting about their homework and drowning in their bottomless pool of affection for one another.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I actually screamed while writing this.
> 
> God it’s like 7:30AM. I’m gonna die or smth rip.
> 
> I love u anonymous and thank u for requesting. I hope u enjoyed whatever this was and thank u for enjoying my fics so much!!!
> 
> u guys r all my baby ok  
> kisses xoxo good night
> 
> -coinseller (twt @onguanlinnie / cc @coppercoin)


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